PODCAST · business
Thought Sparks
by Rita Gunther-McGrath
Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence. New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern.
Episodes
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Why Data Alone Won't Change Your Organization with Sebastian Wernicke
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C Suite strategist, business founder and best selling author, sits down with Sebastian Wernicke, author of “Data Inspired: Building an Organizational Culture of Inquiry for Lasting...
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Speak Memorably: Bill McGowan on the Art of Captivating Any Audience
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C Suite strategist, business founder and best selling author, sits down with Bill McGowan, founder and CEO of Clarity Media Group and a two-time Emmy Award-winning correspondent. Bill’s...
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Mastering the Craft of Leadership with Rick Goings
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Rick Goings, founder of The Rick Goings Institute for Management and Executive Leadership at Rollins College....
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Plastic, Pollution & Power: Beth Gardiner on Who's Really to Blame
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Beth Gardiner, journalist with bylines in National Geographic, the New York Times, the Guardian, the…
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The Transformation Economy with Rita McGrath and Joe Pine
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Joe Pine, management advisor and author of the new book The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to…
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The Science of Better Leadership with Rita McGrath and Caroline Webb
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Caroline Webb, former McKinsey partner, leadership coach, and economist. Her new book, Leadership…
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Leadership in an Age of Polycrisis with Rita McGrath and Caroline Stokes
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Caroline Stokes, author of AfterShock to 2030: A CEO’s Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and...
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Designing Meetings that Matter with Rita McGrath and Rebecca Hinds
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Rebecca Hinds, Head of the Work AI Institute & Director of Thought Leadership at Glean to discuss her new book...
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Developing a Marketing Mindset with Rita McGrath and Rory Sutherland
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Rory Sutherland, vice chairman of the Ogilvy & Mather group of companies and expert in behavioral science and...
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Leading with Humanity with Rita McGrath and Kevin Nolan
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, hosts Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances, who talks through Haier’s acquisition of GE Appliances, and his advice for leaders...
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Lessons from Three Decades at Columbia Business School
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Bill Klepper, Academic Director in Executive Education at Columbia Business School, to celebrate Bill’s...
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How Organizations Can Win with AI with Rita McGrath and Charlene Li
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Charlene Li, author of author of Groundswell, Open Leadership, and The Disruption Mindset, and a new book,...
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Achieving Real Business Growth with Rita McGrath and Victor Grizzle
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Victor Grizzle, CEO and Executive Chairman of Armstrong Industries, to speak candidly about the massive...
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Understanding the New Longevity with Rita McGrath and Michael Clinton
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Michael Clinton, former president and publishing director and current special advisor to the CEO of Hearst...
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Longterm Strategic Thinking with Rita McGrath and Roger Dennis
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Roger Dennis, advisor on long term thinking and foresight and cultural transformation specialist. 00:00...
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Building Strategy for the Future with Rita McGrath and Jonathan Brill
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Jonathan Brill, business futurist and co-author of AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the...
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Unlocking Human Potential with Rita McGrath and Chris Shipley and Scott Barry Kaufman
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with fellow Silicon Guild Members Chris Shipley and Scott Barry Kaufman, editors of the upcoming essay collection...
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Leadership and Transformation with Rita McGrath and Sharmla Chetty
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Sharmla Chetty, CEO of Duke Corporate Education and expert on human-centered leadership, AI, and workforce...
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Rethinking Education with Rita McGrath and MacKenzie Price
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with MacKenzie Price, co-founder of Alpha Schools, about the limitations of the traditional education system, and what...
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Getting Positioning Right with Rita McGrath and April Dunford
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with April Dunford, expert on brand and product positioning, and author of Obviously Awesome, recently rereleased in…
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Leading Incorruptible Organizations with Rita McGrath and Eric Ries
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, to talk about his new book Incorruptible. They discuss what…
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Beating Burnout and Building Culture with Rita McGrath and Jennifer Moss
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Jennifer Moss, the Chief Research and Strategy Officer at the Global Wellbeing Group and the author of Why Are We...
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Reimagining Work with Rita McGrath and Nilofer Merchant
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Nilofer Merchant, co-founder of The Intangible Labs, and author of the new book Our Best Work: Break Free from…
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Catalyzing Organizational Change with Rita McGrath and Michael Lurie
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Michael Lurie, Chief Catalyst at Bayer and expert in leading large-scale transformations. 00:00 Introductions &...
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Building Beloved Brands with Rita McGrath and Monica Nassif
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Monica Nassif, an entrepreneur and founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, as well as author of “I Bottled My Mother:...
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The Science of Retiring Well with Rita McGrath and Teresa Amabile
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Teresa Amabile, Edsel Bryant Ford Professor, Emerita, at Harvard Business School, and co-author of the book...
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Maximizing Human Capacity with Rita McGrath and Vivienne Ming
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Vivienne Ming, theoretical neuroscientist and artificial intelligence expert, named one of “10 Women to Watch in...
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Building Lasting Organizations with Rita McGrath and Dave Whorton
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Dave Whorton, Founder & CEO at Tugboat Institute, and co-author of Another Way: Building Companies That Last…and...
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AI and Human Capabilities with Rita McGrath and Johan Roos
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Johan Roos, Global Chief Academic Officer at Hult International Business School, co-creator of LEGO Serious...
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The Future of Employment with Rita McGrath and Deborah Perry Piscione
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Deborah Perry Piscione, co-author of the book “EMPLOYMENT IS DEAD: How Disruptive Technologies are...
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AI and the Knowledge Economy with Rita McGrath and Sangeet Paul Choudary
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, welcomes Sangeet Paul Choudary– expert on platform economics and network effects, and the recipient of the 2025 Thinkers50...
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The Psychology of High Performance with Rita McGrath and Christian Marcolli
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, welcomes Christian Marcolli, a performance psychologist who works with elite athletes and executives on how to achieve and...
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Rethinking Authenticity with Rita McGrath and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, welcomes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of business psychology at University College London and an adjunct professor at...
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Unlimited Leadership with Rita McGrath and Jose Marcilla
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, welcomes José Marcilla, President of Latin America and Canada (LACan) Region at Novartis, and author of “Unlimited…
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Defying Organizational Drift with Rita McGrath and Steve Goldbach & Geoff Tuff
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, welcomes Steven Goldbach and Geoff Tuff, authors of Hone: How Purposeful Leaders Defy Drift. They explore how leaders can…
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Rising Against the Odds with Rita McGrath and Sylvia Acevedo
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, welcomes Sylvia Acevedo, a trailblazer with experience spanning NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to executive roles at Apple,...
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Redefining Digital Identity with Rita McGrath and Don Tapscott
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Don Tapscott, CEO of the Tapscott Group, Chairman and co-Founder of the Blockchain Research Institute, and...
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The Remote Work Question with Rita McGrath and Peter Capelli & Ranya Nehmeh
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Peter Capelli of Wharton and HR Strategist Ranya Nehmeh. Their book, In Praise of the Office, is a research-based...
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Systems Leadership with Rita McGrath and Rob Siegel
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Rob Siegel, Lecturer in Management at Stanford University , a venture investor, a former operator, and author of...
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Legacies of Resilience with Rita McGrath and Cheryl McKissack Daniel
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Cheryl McKissack Daniel, the fifth-generation leader of McKissack & McKissack, the nation’s oldest Black-owned...
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Celebrating Immigrant Entrepreneurs with Rita McGrath and Neri Karra Sillaman
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Neri Karra Sillaman, founder of Moda Métiers, expert in sustainable fashion, strategy, and entrepreneurship, and...
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The Psychology of Performance with Rita McGrath and Michael Gervais
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Michael Gervais, a leading performance psychologist and author of the book “The First Rule of Mastery”. 1:14…
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Art and Human Connection with Rita McGrath and Chesney Snow
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Chesney Snow, Lecturer of Music Theater & Theater at Princeton University, Drama Desk winner, beatboxing pioneer,...
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The Power of Storytelling with Rita McGrath and Jaye Fenderson
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Jaye Fenderson, an award-winning filmmaker and cofounder of Three Frame Media, about the power of storytelling to...
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Rethinking Higher Education with Rita McGrath and Ben Nelson
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Ben Nelson, Chairman and CEO of the Minerva Project, and Founder of Minerva University. They discuss the mission...
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Deep connections, globally and locally, with with Rita McGrath and Jean Oelwang
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Jean Oelwang, founding CEO of Virgin Unite, author of Partnering: Forge the Deep Connections That Make Great…
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Leading Through Pressure with Rita McGrath and Sabina Nawaz
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Sabina Nawaz, author of the book “You’re the Boss” leadership secrets of the world’s most successful managers....
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Unlocking Human Potential with Rita McGrath and Scott Barry Kaufman
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman, a Columbia University psychologist and expert in intelligence, creativity, and human...
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How Digital Feedback Shaped the World with Rita McGrath and Martin Reeves
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Martin Reeves, Chair of the BCG Henderson Institute. Their conversation pulls from Reeves’ recent book "Like: The...
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The Secret to Radio Flyer’s Strategic Success with Rita McGrath & Robert Pasin
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Robert Pasin, Chief Wagon Officer at Radio Flyer. They take a deep dive into the history of the iconic wagon…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence. New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern.
HOSTED BY
Rita Gunther-McGrath
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Thought Sparks have?
Thought Sparks currently has 110 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Thought Sparks about?
Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence. New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every...
How often does Thought Sparks release new episodes?
Thought Sparks publishes regularly with 110 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Thought Sparks?
You can listen to Thought Sparks on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Thought Sparks?
Thought Sparks is created and hosted by Rita Gunther-McGrath.
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